BARGAINS...& REFLECT ON WHAT OTHERS MIGHT SEE...

Did some post-Christmas shopping for DEALS...got a few at Wally World.
Do you enjoy Wally World after the holidays?

Wally World is fun after Christmas...especially when you get to do it with your sister and great niece! Here in my living-room side chair are the fun things I bought.

Probably the best deal I got was on the Christian Christmas cards ($1.50) and a new Rooster cookie jar ($4.50) that I didn't picture because he's definitely NOT Christmassy...


My daughter asked me "why" I bought the stuffed reindeer with the animated smile (that lights up)...
I looked back at her with a quizzical look...
well, of course, I bought him becuz he's funny...
you push his button, he sings "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" as his sled moves back and forth and then spins in a circle...now, wouldn't you buy that, too??!!

The other cool thing I got is a set of "Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer" cookie cutters...the cookies have cross sections you bake as well, so once you decorate the cookies, they STAND UP! Right next to the gingerbread house I'm gonna make next year...thanks for the inspiration, Liddie, at 2nd cup of coffee, you've laid down the gauntlet and we should all have a gingerbread competition online!

Pencils with snowmen and snowflakes...I usually give my kids in youth something throughout the Winter-blue months. And, of course, I had to buy new tissue paper for bags 'cause I usually DON'T wrap with real paper anymore...the tissue paper is snowmen, Santa, red and white polka dots...($.50, yeah!) I'm one of those people who sometimes irons tissue paper...especially if it is really neat and I want to RE-GIFT with it!

Not that we NEED any more "nativity" ornaments on our tree, but I couldn't pass up the golden rectangular one or the painted ball one shown on the left. We always look for new shapes and new colors...it's becoming a nativity tree.
The little angel on the right is part of the FAITH sign...it has a little angel on each end of the sculpture. I got many stick-on decorations for gifts as well as lots of scrap booking pieces, and gift card boxes in cool colors with ribbons included.

Many other blogs I have visited recently have either shown a video or a picture of one of their favorite gifts...well, I received a ceramic penguin tea set for one...it now resides on my "penguin" village table in the dining room. The person who gave it to me didn't even know I had a penguin collection new to our Christmas this year! Something about penguins always make me giggle.




The more I looked at it I became very aware at how much the middle one resembled Danny DeVito when he played Penguin in Batman Returns...now, I'm a little creeped out!

... and I just realized I need to go back through my boxes because the one of the right doesn't have a hat and I'm not sure if he's supposed to have one or not! Oh, man, it would be just like me to throw away his hat!

The other thing I wanted to do in this post is wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR! So, please read below and ponder into the new year about what others may see in you, I know I will be pondering it and asking for Christ's guidance along the way.

Harbingers of happiness, awake!

And dreams abandoned, return from restless sleep!

Past hopes, whom bitter wanderers forsake,

Promise once again what will might reap!

Years turn and turn, at each new turn reborn,

New imagined by redeemers new,

Each in turn vouchsafed a festive dawn,

Wind driven towards a sky of darker hue.

Yearning is of innocence a cause,

Embracing with delight what ought to be,

As once a year even truth takes pause,

Reflecting on what other eyes might see.

(by Nicholas Gordon @ poemsforfree.com)

Exodus 40:2 “Set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the new year.

I SEE WHAT U'R SAYING (CHRISTMAS EDITION)...

Nothing like getting to a party as everyone is walking out the door...OR going to bed, whichever the case may be...


sorry so late...couldn't get my video to process correctly in my computer, so I had to build a movie from some stills...don't worry, there's no charge for the extra labor.



I've so enjoyed looking at everyone's...hope someone sees mine!

If you'd like to get in under the gun, too, go here:http://2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/2008/12/welcome-to-i-see-what-youre-saying.html

SEEING HIS LIGHT...IN THE LAUGHS

CHRISTMAS EVE WAS...

Singing "Silent Night" as we lit candles...love, love, love it...we welcome His arrival in PEACE...the world so needs His PEACE. 

The darkness becomes light as more and more RECEIVE His Light...

we can now truly see each other in HIS light! "I am the Truth and the Life", is what He said.

Sharing time with family and friends...we think of those we cannot be with at this time and our hearts are sad; yet we know the love we share, and He settles the separation.

Christmas morning brings opening the presents (and I think of His PRESENCE)...HE gave it ALL for us...to have relation with each one of us...

Jesus would have celebrated Hanukkah as a boy...so, I know he would have loved lighting the candles with his mother and enjoying time with family. She would have laughed and taught him about the legacy of his family and their traditions. 

One of our traditions...we always give something funny...this year, my DD 

received a crochet cap with ear warmers....all the teens are wearing them yet they seem to me to take them back to their earlier childhoods...they pull on the fringe and pull the caps down tightly over their heads and it just makes you laugh! Reminders of a childhood not so long ago, yet on some days they want to be so grown up and ready to leave home.

One of my fun gifts is a "ceramic single-cup tea set of penguins sitting on a plate shaped like an igloo" (By the way, she didn't know I had started a penguin collection this year in my dining room...somehow, she always reads my mind).

...DH received 5 bottles of "1905 honey mustard"...which is his favorite for ham and turkey sandwiches.  Sometimes, looking back at Christmases of old, the presents remembered the most are the funny, cute ones...how soon we forget the big-dollar items.

WHAT LAUGHS DID YOU HAVE THIS HOLIDAY?  

PLEASE LEAVE A NOTE, POST A PIC ON YOUR SITE...I'D ENJOYING HEARING AND SEEING HOW YOU LAUGH DURING THIS SPECIAL TIME.

Deuteronomy 6:2

So that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

Funny Faces '08...LOVE ME SOME TEENS!

They sing like angels...

They dance to any beat known to man...

We've spent thousands on getting their teeth straight...

and they can't have a get-together without FISH FACES!

Even the guys get in on it...birthday parties, Halloween parties...the event doesn't matter.  It's all about the face poses...the most abnormal expression tends to be the most cherished...

They steal each other's hats or caps and begin taking on a new personality...they growl, jump up and down, posing as we take tons of pictures.  They truly enjoy their time together, just being silly, loving life! 

New faces also appear when they're not thinking about themselves...

when they challenge each other in GUITAR HERO!

...they chew on their lips, bite their tongues, raise their eyebrows and jump around the room while doing it all.  

It seems something would get hurt, but they pull it off without a hitch!

And, in the end, the pics don't always have WEIRD faces...they sometimes have new faces...a trip to Disney World brought a fun time with KYLE XY (Matt Dallas).

What kind of funny face pics of family or friends do you want to share...to end the year with a laugh and an appreciation for EVERY MOMENT we have with friends and family??

(thanks Liddie, at 2nd Cup, for giving me the idea for this post...)

3 John 1:2

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

TO BE HERE....

We watch Jon & Kate +8 ... and their recent commercial has a song featured from Fisher: BEAUTIFUL LIFE!

The singer's voice is ethereal, so I went to YouTube and found the video to share it...and there was a link, so here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL6hlyVAX2Y

This is the season of recognizing the beautiful-ness of LIFE, of GRACE, of a Savior who came into our world to be a servant to those He met while he walked this earth and continues to be our Servant through the Holy Spirit and by living in us.

Life is beautiful...He gives us breath, He gives us LOVE to share with all those around us.

Life is not perfect unless you look at it through the eyes of Christ...he hears and sees our HEARTS, he sees beyond our short-comings, our ailments, our "ugliness" (that usually is not physical).

He loves of because of WHOSE we are...the Creator's most highly regarded creation.

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!

Talk with Him today about your REAL HEART, your REAL CONCERNS; then go help someone that can't...who doesn't know how to share...who might be on their last nickel...who might be hungry...who might be elderly or widowed.

...then you'll understand your true BEAUTY!

Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to everyone.He showers compassion on all his creation.

NOW TO THE POST OFFICE...(HAVE YOU NOTICED?)

Finished my Christmas cards today...now to the post office to probably stand in line with the masses who haven't mailed their gifts yet. It's one of those things I'd rather not do...Lines seem to be a common thing for me these days...I was in line longer than 3 hours for the presidential election...it was outside in the COLD, WINDY morning air. At least when I go to the post office I'll be indoors.

There are things about lines that can sometimes be very worrisome......general health hygiene becomes a concern as you stand in and amongst those others who have waited late in getting their post office chores completed

..."sneezes and coughs" being blown across the room with no attempt to suppress their effects...put you shirt over your nose, wrap and elbow around your face--or even hold a tissue over your nose and mouth--there's an idea!

...Considering WHO it is in front or behind you...Overall cleanliness works great in a line if you've had a bath within the last three days or so, but sometimes I wonder if some people know what a bath is...

Yes there are times when your job requires you to get dirty, and I love DIRTY JOBS with Mike Rowe; however, unless it's Mike Rowe in front or behind me, I'm not going to have much fun standing next to a grown-up version of Linus! Kids seem to not smell so badly when they're dirty, but adults are a whole new category.

So, wish me well as I depart for the USPS to encounter the unknown length of line, the myriad of smells, the chorus of personal sounds being emitted by those in the general vicinity, the sights of digits busy in oh so many ways, and the deflating of my wallet as I pay for postage for my stack of Christmas cards....

I'll covet your prayers for safe journey, that no sneezy germs come my way, and that I'll keep a smile on my face to one and all, remembering that I am very blessed to have a home, a family, a church home, good neighbors, food on our table, and most of all good health, generally speaking...maybe I'll see Mike Rowe!

What do you notice when you stand in line with the general populace?

UPDATE:  Well, I returned from the mail center about 10 minutes after I left home! There was NO line...so I didn't encounter any sneezes, coughs, or Mike Rowe (shucks, for this one).  Is God good or what?  I even was able to confirm my packages were guaranteed for delivery before Christmas morning!

Well, Monday I'll be going to the grocery to gather my list for Christmas, so I'll let you know then if I run into Mike! Enjoy your last weekend of shopping before Christmas Eve!

Psalm 64:2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,

from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

SR HIGH MTN RETREAT '08

THANKFUL

BLESSED WEEKEND...
GOD'S GLORY

CANE FALLS

OUTSIDE OURCONFERENCE ROOM DOOR...

CRISP, COLD AIR OF HIS MOUNTAINS!

miraculously no one fell in or was pushed in...with 45 youth, you never know who might encounter the water

MEETINGROOMS IN THE "BOB"
...OVERLOOKING CANE FALLS AND THE CREEK
...steps galore
...they played leapfrog across the bridge!

SCRIPTURE SHARED IN GAMES...
Guitar hero...who knew?! PREACHING...SMALL GROUP SESSIONS...
throwing candy, wearing reindeeer antlers and elves' hats ... SONGS...

DINING HALL'S OPEN PORCH
STONE FIREPLACE...COZY FIRES ... BLESSINGS BEFORE MEALS...or being chased by Canadian-hat laden teen CARRYING log tongs snapping behind those running

"SADI"

WATCHING OVER US

blankets, coats, gloves galore!

(disregard the dates on the pictures...you have not been asleep for ten years)

Something was going bonky with my camera labelling pics with inadvertent dates!!

or maybe we were in a time-travel loop...

strange things can happen on retreat!

SMALL GROUP CHALLENGES

ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD BELOW THE BOYS' CABINS...

LATER, THEY PLAYED FOOTBALL..bruised ribs, bruises, IN SHORTS!!!

... it was only in the 30's, why would they need long pants??

OTHERS TOURED MOUNTAIN TOWNS AND SHOPPED

QUIET TIME BY THE FALLS...
WHAT ARE MY REGRETS?...

"CRAZY"GAMES...

CAN'T HAVE A SENIOR HIGH RETREAT

WITHOUT PLEXI-GLASS

PEANUT BUTTER-ON-EACH-SIDE CHALLENGE...

FIRST TO GET IT ALL LICKED OFF WON

...i left out the upclose pics of them after the games...peanut butter in the eyebrows, up their noses...coating their temples and hair...although i bet they went home with very soft hair, if they washed it out!

PRAISING SINGING

IS ALWAYS SO upLIFTING...

THEY SING LIKE ANGELS...

GETTING READY TO SING "OH, HAPPY DAY, HAPPY DAY"

JUMPING PIC SENIORS!!

VISITING THE FALLS ...

LOCATION FOR OUR GROUP PIC "JUMPING, JUMPING"... ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE a jumping pic...i'm so going to miss them!

REGRETS INTO THE FIRE

AND THE LORD'S SUPPER TOGETHER ...

HIS ENORMOUS FULL MOON WAS WATCHED OVER US THROUGH THE BARREN TREES...

then my camera died and i had left my charger at home.

So, I don't get to post any pics of the creative, theme-driven closing skits/tv shows/plays in the chapel,

their 'goodbyes' to doggie Sadi,

or the bus-trip home as some slept, others sang songs and talked of college applications and scholarships...

while we "caravanned" down the road in our four church busses...

no flat tires or starter problems...

thank you, Lord!

CHRISTMAS FAVES...

Here's my Friday Favorite 5 for this week:

While eating lunch today I was startled as something whammed up against my front door, the doorbell rang and I found this year's Christmas presents from North Carolina...we'll unwrap them later and spread out under the tree. Thank goodness they made it to the door this year...a few years back, they were delivered to the garage door without a doorbell ...this was before they made rear-end sensors...there was a "crunch" as the SUV backed up, we jumped out to find one box under the truck and one box lodged up against a tire...only one thing was broken and a large picture was a little bent but we were able to straighten it back out.




Decorating the tree is one of those sweet & sour, ying & yang, good & bad kinda things...we have to use a fake tree due to allergies so needless to say we have to wear gloves when positioning all the branches and tips into the right positions (after they've been squished all year under the cover) . It really hurts as the needles of the tree poke and scratch. The good of seeing the childhood ornaments and remembering the people associated with them outweighs the pain. This little white dove is very special (he was on a bouquet of flowers at my Daddy's funeral in 1990. Each year he's positioned in the tree, it's like having part of my Daddy with me (and it gives me another opportunity to talk with my daughter about my Daddy 'cause she never got to meet him. ) One of my fave memories...we gave him a folding workbench...he was playing around and sat down inside the legs of the bench and got STUCK! It made a great picture --he laughed so much his false teeth almost fell out!


This is my newest snowman in my kitchen Christmas collection...he's guarding my nuts right now, but soon he will be holding fresh, homemade goodies for the holiday. Since we don't get a lot of snow here, this helps me get in the Winter-feel.

Hubby collects nativities and I found this one for him at an "angel" shop in North Carolina several years ago...it includes the entire nativity as it hangs on the wall...(I figure as we get older and may not be able to put up a tree one day, this will proudly hang above the mantle where ever we are and be our entire Christmas decoration...it never hurts to plan ahead for the retirement home)...especially since I heard my 16yo say last year while her church choir was entering an elderly home to sing, "Oh, this is a nice place; I'll have to remember it for my mother when she gets old".

When dear daughter was 3, she had this Christmas picture made at her daycare...can you tell she was excited. I have multiple Christmas pictures I hang throughout the house during the holidays. (She still reminds me how much she hated her hair in this picture as we bring it out)...In reality, she loved her hair short because she could brush it...and Lord knows she wouldn't let me brush her hair 'cause I made it hurt....have I ever mentioned how much we loved "NO MORE TANGLES" spray?! God bless whoever invented that stuff, it even works with bubblegum! I love remembering back on the innocent, excited "Santa" years...what fun!

Join us in posting your favorite five from this week...go here for MR LINKY: http://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2008/12/fridays-fave-five-17.html

LOVIN' FELLOW BLOGGERS...

A sweet gesture today from Carrie, http://oakrisecottage.blogspot.com/2008/12/angel-giveaway-and-two-awards.html



I appreciate her taking the time during this busy holiday season and sharing words of kindness...and there's a link to a beautiful angel-giveaway...

So, with a heart of continuing the love, I've chosen 4 nominees (couldn't do 10 with all the Holiday activity ) for this award are:

• Amy at http://signsmiraclesandwonders.blogspot.com/ (an unending attitude of love and compassion for her children and many others, living through life's challenges, sharing and giving back every day)
• Robin at http://rlambright.blogspot.com/ (true peace of from a friend who tells it like it is, loves you in spite of your shortcomings, and shares her love of Christ with all those around her...pouring her heart out while gaining understanding of valleys and mountaintops)
• HT at http://livinmividaloca.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/santa-jammies/ (have watched this one grow up into a mommy and a professional giver...loves the simple and builds up those around her)
• Linda at http://2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/ (what can I say? she's a hoot...loves to laugh and I love to read her renditions of life, love, family and pondering the world's activities...)
  

Here are the rules for this award:
• Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or
Gratitude!
• Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
• Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to this post to the person from whom you received your award.

Psalm 112:4

Light shines in the darkness for the godly.

They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

OUR SERVANT CANDLE, OUR SHAMMASH

Update: After doing this post, I got several of my "haven'ts" done from my previous post...started my cards, put out the outside decorations, DD and I got the tree up tonight...He's been my LIGHT today!! ...and THANKS for all your comments, they gave me a big boost!

God's fulfillment in Christ as the Savior of the world, HIS LIGHT into the world.
Jesus was raised as a practicing Jew, He celebrated the "light". We more fully celebrate Jesus by celebrating His Jewish Heritage, making our celebration richer in its fulfillment from the Old Testament.

It may sound strange to many, but it brings me into the Christmas spirit, seeing HIS LIGHT through a Messianic Jew's perspective. Sandy Corlett noted in her article on "A GENTILE PERSPECTIVE", at Beth Adonai.com:

"Messianic Jews and Gentiles worship together...grafted in and equal heirs
of His promised inheritance in Yeshua/Jesus (Galatians 3:29, Ephesians 2:14-3:6, Titus 3:3-7, Hebrews 6:17-20, Romans 10:12).

We fulfill His prophecy to be gathered together in His name (Romans
11:11-24).

John 10: 27-28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never
perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” Yeshua/Jesus was promising His people deliverance from sin and death...not
just for a season, but for eternity!

In John 8:12, Yeshua proclaims “I am the light of the world...he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” (“Yeshua”in Hebrew means salvation.)

Hanukkah is referred to as the “Festival of Lights” (Hag Haorim) and it was during this season that Yeshua described Himself as the” light of the world”.

The Lord will usher in His millennial kingdom with the overthrow of the “lawless one” in a miraculous way. The shammash or “servant” is the candle used to light the other candles of the Hanukkah menorah. Yeshua is our shammash...Matthew 20:28 “...the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many...”

Jesus is the REASON FOR THE SEASON and He is our Lord who watches over us and guides us when we're willing to listen.
How will you be sharing His news with the world more during this season of HIS LIGHT?

WHAT Do You Do When You're NOT in the Mood?...

My haven'ts are outnumbering my haves...

blah, blah, blah...

haven't started cooking ahead,

haven't written my christmas list,

haven't sent cards yet,

haven't decorated anything...

i need a B-12 Christmas boost.

Any ideas on getting a "jump" start?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!!

I'M THANKFUL FOR DOCTORS

FINALLY,

some relief...

AWENDELA TONLINKA lives here!!

I was over at 2nd Cup of Coffee reading her post about her name...and there was a button for Thanksgiving quizzes...

I thought it would be appropriate to check out my native american name with Thanksgiving being next week...

Born and raised in this country, I believe I'm a "native American" yet I'm not of a Native American tribe...

but, I almost rolled out of my chair when it gave me my results...

Your Native American Name Is...

Awendela Tolinka Your name means: Morning Flapping Ear of a Coyote

WHAT's YOUR result?? Let me know...

I want to hear yours, too! Go here to get it...

What's Your Native American Name?

FRIDAYS FAVE 5 (my 1st edition)

Decided to participate in something to lift my spirits,

my body is fighting feeling miserable...

as I sniff, cough, and blow...

1. WARM, FUZZIE SLIPPERS...keeping my toes toasty as I endure this bug that has jumped into me totally causing the histamines in my body to go crazy...just where in the world does all this stuff come from in my head??

2. LOVE TEACHING MY 16YO...MAKING BUTTERSCOTCH KRISPIES...she's been wonderfully conquering the "driving by herself" thing and is out and about with friends.

She was making treats for Honors Latin Club this weekend ....their school is hosting Certamen, pronounced (kur TAU men)...Latin for "competition"...topics ranging from the minutiae of Latin grammar/ vocabulary, Latin-based etymology, Roman history/culture, and classical mythology.

Did you get that?? I was a music geek in high school...needless to say, this is TOTALLY over my head...i can't imagine being in a 3rd year of Latin but she's enjoying participating in this classic organization.

3. LEFTOVER FOOD. In that I had made extra "Ham bone Soup", I didn't have to cook while sick...yeah!!

My ham bone had been frozen, so after quickly thawing it, I added in my other frozen item, my "stock bag"! I keep a "zipper freezer bag" where I've tossed EVERY leftover vegetable that is not enough to feed the whole family at a future meal...When the bag becomes FULL, it becomes the base of my soup. (This is something my GRANNY always did...she lived through the depression and NEVER through ANYTHING away. ) After adding some spices and a can of chicken broth, this soup was ready to go...hard to beat it!

4. FINISHING A PRAYER BLANKET...I added fringe to my crocheted prayer blanket, so it's ready to take to the prayer blanket ministry.

We crochet once a week as a group, pray over finished blankets, teach each other new stitches, and enjoy each other's company. If you don't know how to crochet or knit, we'll teach you...and it's fun to know you're helping someone stay warm while enduring chemotherapy or warming up with the Holy Spirit that comes with each blanket!

5. Echinacea Complete Care tea--I so enjoy sweetening it with my Manuka Honey adding a dash of cream and then slowly sipping it...letting the steam rise up onto my face...one of those wonderful moments when the rest of your body is curled up under a flannel blanket. I'm eager for it to shorten my cold, reduce my symptoms and help boost my immune system that seems to be so "out of whack".

So, those were my favorite five today...what are yours??

Go to:Living to Tell the Story's FRIDAY'S FAVE 5

...http://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2008/11/fridays-fave-five-15.html